Does your dog spend too much time on the couch or are they gaining weight and becoming less enthusiastic for their daily walk?
All dogs need exercise and stimulation to be content and happy. Exercise helps to prevent obesity and reduce digestive problems. It builds and maintains their cardiovascular fitness and keeps their joints mobile and supple. Exercise also keeps your dog mentally active by stimulating all of their senses in the open environment.
When your dog is lacking exercise they can become bored, lethargic, and/or frustrated. Here are some common indicators that your dog isn’t getting the correct amount of exercise;
Becoming overweight
A combination of poor diet and lack of physical activity can be factors in your dog gaining weight.
Negative behaviour
All dogs need an outlet for their energy. If they can’t release this energy by exercising, your dog may start behaving badly.
Restlessness
Your pet may show signs of being overexcited in the home and when you do take them out they can become overzealous and difficult to control.
Being withdrawn
Some dogs can become withdrawn when they lack physical and mental stimulation. They may frequently remove themselves from the family to lay down or not engage with you when you come home.
Stiffness
A slow lifestyle can result in stiff and tense muscles. Regular exercise helps to keep muscles and ligaments moving as well as maintaining strength.
Excessive barking
Constant barking may be your dog’s way of telling you that they are bored and need more mental and physical exercise.
Join RunDog's Couch to 5k programme
At RunDog we can plan a fitness programme around your dog, we start from their current fitness level and daily exercise plan and gradually over 6/8 weeks build upon this until they are achieving a 5K. This could mean starting with plenty of walking and slowly introducing some running or walking up the hills, taking plenty of well-earned rest stops following an active period.
What's involved?
Our Couch to 5K programme will take your dog on exploratory trails, through the local countryside where they will be both physically and mentally stimulated by their surroundings and the routes planned. They will be mentally stimulated by all the new scents and scenery as well as being physically active on the trail. If they would like to join our small run group, this will also boost your dog's socialisation skills.
Is this the right programme for your dog?
Not all dogs are suited to distance running, before we can start planning your dog’s couch to 5K programme we need to consider factors such as their age and breed. RunDog will only accept dogs from 16 months old, the early months for younger dogs are a really important time for their bone, joint and muscle growth development. Breeds that are short nosed and have flatter faces are called Brachycephalic, and heavy aerobic exercise isn’t recommended for them. For the more senior dogs, they may be looking at reducing their running hours and prefer a walking pace.
If you are unsure or have any questions, please get in touch so we can discuss your dog’s exercise needs. We recommend that your consult your vet before starting our Couch to 5K programme.
For more information about our Couch to 5K we would love to hear from you - email us at hello@rundog.info
Lorna
Founder of RunDog, Harpenden
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